Garbage piles up in Soran as sanitation workers strike over unpaid wages

SORAN — Trash piled up in the streets of Soran for a second day Monday as sanitation workers went on strike over unpaid wages, leaving the city’s central market overwhelmed with waste and foul odors while stray animals scavenged through the garbage.

The stoppage began after workers from the local environmental services department refused to continue operations, citing unpaid salaries for March and April. “We’re not willing to return to work until we’re paid,” several workers told 964media.

Abdulhadi Abdulbaqi, head of Ball and Hizll, the company contracted to clean the city, confirmed the disruption and acknowledged the wage delays. “It’s true the employees haven’t received their wages, which is why the center of Soran hasn’t been cleaned for two days,” he said. “But today or by tomorrow, the issue will be resolved and the workers will resume their duties.”

He attributed the delay to public banking system congestion. Under the current arrangement, the company receives payment from the municipality via government-issued checks. These must then be processed and withdrawn through the same banks that handle all public-sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region.

“During salary distribution periods, banks experience heavy workloads, and when there are no funds available for withdrawal, we can’t access the money to pay the workers,” Abdulbaqi said.

However, the company’s explanation has raised questions. If the delay in April payments is due to banking issues, it remains unclear why March wages were also missed. Workers told 964media that Ball and Hizll has a history of delayed disbursements, having allegedly withheld salaries earlier this year before paying out three months’ worth of back wages in March. No salaries have reportedly been issued since.

Mohammed Abdulrahman, head of the environment and services department in Soran Municipality, said the municipality has also withheld some of the company’s payments for October, November, and December 2024 due to what he described as contractual violations.

“According to the contract between the company and Soran Municipality, the company is obligated to pay workers’ salaries under all circumstances,” Abdulrahman said. “This is necessary to protect the rights of the workers and ensure that services are not interrupted.”

He added that the dispute is expected to be resolved within days. “If the workers continue their boycott and the company does not resolve the issue, legal steps will be taken against it,” he said.